Wide trail runners with grippy soles

[Randy Nelson]

I usually wear New Balance trail runners as I have tailor’s bunions so I need extra wide shoes. Or surgery, which is likely in my future. And they are fine for me for on and off trail hiking and the occasional rocky 14’er. I’m going to be doing some via feratta next month on a trip to Slovenia and hopefully next year in the Dolomites. So I was looking for something with a “grippier” sole. I got a pair of Moab Ventilators in wide which seemed wide enough but they have gradually irritated my bunion and I’m thinking they aren’t going to work. I’m not sure anything will. Switching back to a pair of NB has definitely helped but none of their shoes have an aggressive tread.  I’m actually trying to stretch the Moabs using the freezing water inside method but don’t know if that will help. Anyone know of a shoe with good tread that’s really wide?

[PaulW]

My Hoka Speedgoats have a durable, grippy, tread and are the wide version. They’re a competent, although not excellent, off-trail shoe. If I know I’m going off-trail, I will usually opt for my pair of Ultra Raptors. By upsizing 2x I was able to get a good fit for my wide feet. I also found the Brooks Cascadia wide to be a good off-trail shoe, but I wear them less now that I’ve discovered the Ultra Raptors. FWIW, I do almost all my hiking in desert terrain.

[Dan]

Salomon Speedcross hypothetically come in wide, but have not been available for quite a while.

[Marcus]

I scored Thw last pair of Solomon speedcross 5 Wide in the US from rei back in May.

Their soles are Spiderman grippy when new. On rough sandstone you can climb 45°+ slopes without hands. Not the greatest longevity, but grippy as hell. Soles are a tad soft for rocky off trail. If I were doing that I’d take some 3mm semi flexible plastic and make a rock plate to put under the insole.

[Alex H]

The La Sportiva TX3 have really grippy climbers type rubber on the front part of the sole.

[Randy Nelson]

Thanks for all the input. I think anything that doesn’t come in a wide is out. My feet are 4E and I’ve found sizing up isn’t enough. Probably have to size up with wide shoes that are normally 2E.   The Hokas look good except the height which makes them look like they might not be as stable, which is needed to avoid putting pressure on the bunion. I can’t find a brick and mortar store around here that has any of the wides. I’d like to try them on if I can.

[Roger Caffin]

New Balance has LOTS of 4E fittings.
Both my wife and I take 4E.
And you can search on their web site with a ‘4E’ filter.

Cheers

[DWR D]

TOPO Ultraventure Pro

or their mid… Trailventure 2 (wider than the UV PRO)

both pretty grippy lugs

[Randy Nelson]

If you go to the US New Balance site they show only two trail runners in 4E. The Fresh Foam Arishi Trail GTX and the DynaSoft Nitrel V5. Neither of those have soles that are an improvement over the 510s that I usually wear. It’s strange but for a few years now I noticed that the 510s aren’t even on their website but you can get them from Amazon. Maybe those are a few years old and just old stock? I might have to stock up on them.

After talking to my podiatrist today, who’s a runner/hiker/backpacker, and going over my shoes, I decided to take a pair of my wide Moabs (I bought a second pair after the first seemed to be working OK) to a cobbler to have them stretched. He seems to think they’ll stretch just fine and he’s targeting only the widest point. When ever I have ski boots blown out to where that point is good, the heels get loose Because the whole shell is affected, which is not good for using them for backcountry travel. But better a few layers of moleskin than bad pain!

[Roger Caffin]

???
I found 9 listings under Men/Running/10/4E on the NB web site.
Maybe try again?

Cheers

[Randy Nelson]

OK, I’ll “try again” Roger. :) Or maybe you can show me what you find? I asked about trail runners with a grippier sole. What do you find for trail runners in 4E. Not just running shoes. I’m looking for something with a “grippier sole” for via ferrata. What 9 shoes do you see which have soles good for rock? Here’s what filtering for trail runners in 4E shows for me. I could be searching poorly as you are implying. Please show me how to search correctly. Like I said I like 510s just fine but they are not on the website. There may be other models as well but I sure don’t see them.t see them.

 

[Roger Caffin]

Ah, I think we may have a problem of definitions here.
NB think ‘Trail Runner’ need to be a bit heavier than many of us use. We head more towards the Mens/Running/ style, not the NB’s version of ‘Trail running’ style. The web site even tells you the weight of the different shoes – below the 3D pictures.

Sue & I have been wearing NB shoes for – maybe 20 years, in the 10/4E size. We have never had any problems with the grip, even in the wet. We have been over quite a few European mountain trails, and a lot of rock (and some mud). I think most of the NB shoes would go just fine on via ferrata. Ah – bearing in mind that round steel rungs are never a good grip in pouring rain!

Some of the NB shoes even have Vibram soles. Those may be slightly heavier than the lighter shoes with NB soles of course. Anyhow, we find the actual pattern on the sole to be not hugely significant, as the sole rubber itself is very good. It grips. Mind you, the real UL running shoes have a much ‘thinner’ pattern than the ones we were walking.

We have been using shoes from the ‘Fresh Foam’ series over the last few years. Good grip and very comfortable. We do not lace them up tightly: that can be uncomfortable.

Cheers

[Logan K]

I have always (by necessity – 4E feet) been a New Balance guy, but their proprietary outsole material is terrible. It grips in the most ideal (warm and dry) situation, but add any “wet” to the equation, and they are horrible. My most recent (and final!) pair led to tearing both menisci in my knee on the Art Loeb Trail this Spring when I slipped on a descent. My plan, once I’m back at it having concluded PT, is to wear Speedgoats in wide (EE) that I have stretched for width in the forefoot with a shoe stretcher.

[Randy Nelson]

What size are you wearing in the Fresh Foam series Roger? I only see those in 2E on the US NB site.

 

I got the Moabs back and while they are definitely wider, I’m still having pain.  Pretty sure surgery is in the future. Or two if I do them both so I won’t have one foot 4e and one 2e. Probably make it easier if they are both narrower when I go to get new AT and downhill skill boots. Hopefully won’t have the loose heel issues if they don’t have to be punched out as much.

[Roger Caffin]

We only ever wear size 10 / 4E, NEVER anything narrower.
Try
https://www.newbalance.com/men/shoes/running/?prefn1=mensFootwearSize&prefv1=10&prefn2=width&prefv2=X-Wide%20%284E%29&srule=null

Cheers

[Randy Nelson]

Which ones do you like?

[Roger Caffin]

Hi Randy

What a difficult question!
Some of the well-known models are no longer available from NB in a 10/4E size. I interpret this as meaning that it is end-of-season.
I note that most models now come in a ‘version’: the 880s for instance are up to V12!

The Nitrel and Arisha models seem to be in a different (lower) price category from others, but I don’t know why. The Arisha model has a road-work sole, not good enough for trails imho. The Nitrel has nice big lugs – as far as I can see, and is light.

However, we have not bought any shoes recently because we have a bit of a stock in the cupboard. Both of us still have good Leadvilles, which were wonderful. Vibram soles. We use them in the mountains.

We also have a large stock of 1080s in good condition – for a really weird reason which is worth explaining. (The sole is OK, medium size pattern.) My wife found that she could wear a pair of them for no more than about 6 months on our daily runs, then they would start to hurt her feet. She thought the Fresh Foam insole was breaking down. But the shoes still seemed quite OK to me, so they went into ‘my’ stock.

Eventually we found out what the problem was, and it is worth while explaining about it. Others may find it helpful. As delivered the full-length lacing was OK, but over time the toe end of the lacing was inconspicuously tightening, making the front of the shoe too narrow for her feet. That is why they started to hurt her feet. So . . . we changed the lacing to skip the bottom two sets of holes. Now she can tighten the lacing over the arch of her feet enough to make the shoes ride well, but leaving her toes free.

Result: instant comfort, and the shoes are now lasting well over a year or two without any problems. When the current pair wear out, which may take another year or two, we will retrieve an older pair from stock and modify the lacing. That will work.

HTH
Cheers

[Christopher S]

New Balance often makes 4E width shoes but with vibram soles. They will be more expensive but I have found them pretty good. Seems to be a seasonal thing and usually they only do one color in 4E of each model (if it at all) but also almost always have lots of colors in 2E.

Topo Trailventure is also fairly wide and vibram as well as the similar low top.

A shoe stretcher is invaluable honestly if you have super wide feet – I have stretched tons of shoes – unlined leather will stretch the most but you can stretch anything really. I have la sportiva TX4 approach shoes (non waterproof, low top, suede upper) that I have stretched the crap out of along with climbing shoes and mountaineering boots. I also use a shoe stretcher which is different with a little ball and loop on each end of two forceps and allows you to stretch a targeted area. Both are very useful.

[Roger Caffin]

Odd. I have yet to see any stretch in totally synthetic shoes with fully moulded soles. In leather, to be sure, but not in full synthetic. Which, incidentally, is why we never buy any shoes with leather on them: the leather can shrink when it dries out. Been there . . .

On a more general note: if you have to ‘stretch’ shoes, why not buy ones with the right size for your feet at the start? OK, heavy plastic mountaineering and skiing boots may only come in one size: I know that. But joggers are available in all widths.

Cheers

[Bill in Roswell]

<p style=”text-align: left;”>I second DW on Topo. Very grippy Vibram sole. Don’t know which compound but it works on wet granite in the southern Apps. However I dont know that they are E width. Topo fit me better than Altra as there is no sloppiness. Altra is common for LD hikers but grip is middling. Salomon Ultra now has a Wide but only in GTX. Great grip tho!</p>

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